The Next Time She Coughs, This Baby Could Lose Her Life

“She coughs so much that she becomes unconscious. It’s a terrifying sight to watch her cough and cry, struggling to catch her breath. Every time this happens, we think it’s the last time we’re going to see our baby.”

The waiting room in the hospital has been home for Irshad and Rozy for a month now. Ever since their 2-month-old baby girl was diagnosed with a serious heart disease, they haven’t had a minute without worry. Zikra is now in the ICU on oxygen support in need of immediate surgery. Their baby girl is running out of time, and all her parents can do now is cry at their unfortunate plight and empty pockets.

Baby Zikra’s heart will not survive the next coughing fit

Only 2-months-old and baby Zikra has suffered a world of pain already. Just a month after her birth, her parents found out that her heart had a serious defect – one of her ventricles has not even formed, making it extremely difficult for her heart to function normally and effectively. Her heart can’t pump blood to the rest of her body, causing damage to her lungs.

“She has been in the hospital ever since we found out about her condition. We haven’t gone home for a month. We decided that we’d go home only once she’s cured, but her medicines are not enough anymore. She needs the surgery. The next time she starts coughing, she might not survive it.”

It’ll take Irshad months of saving to afford the surgery, but his baby doesn’t have time

Two days ago, baby Zikra was rushed to the ICU after her condition began deteriorating. Her fits of coughs were never-ending and she risked catching a serious infection. Her little body trembled every time she breathed. Irshad and Rozy watched her being taken away on the stretcher, thinking it was the last time they would see their baby girl. Luckily, they were told that their baby could be saved with a surgery, but it must happen today.

“My wife has been crying for days now, I can see her slowly losing hope because there’s no way we can afford the surgery. It’ll take us months to arrange for the amount and our baby doesn’t have that much time. We’ve already borrowed 1 lakh from our family.I work as a driver in Kashmir, and have no savings left. I never imagined that by baby would battle death.”

How You Can Help

Baby Zikra needs a heart surgery today to survive. Irshad hasn’t gone for work in a month and has exhausted all his savings in her treatment so far. He can't afford the 1.5 lakhs needed, but only this life-saving surgery will completely cure Zikra and give her life again.